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What type of helmet do I need to get?

I am going to try to do a few schooling/shows this year and I need a helmet. What kind/style? I currently have a sportage helmet but I know that's not the 'look" in the show ring. Need another fairly inexpensive helmet to buy, just not sure which style is more versatile. I may show in hunter/jumper/flat/crossrails or even dressage..I and my horse can only go so far being that she is 1/2 gaited (she has a funky 1/2 trot) but I just want to get her out there to do something different at the schooling/lower local levels and have fun, but not look like a fool - our riding skills can fit that bill itself LOL . We excel at trail and judged obstacles already and i'm looking for something else to do this summer.

I've seen people at schooling shows with the sportage, but IMHO it doesn't really look quite right with a jacket. FWIW I school in one. They're super light and well ventilated which is essential out here in Arizona.

If you want to stay within the same price range as the sportage, what about something like this? I don't know what it looks like in person, but it certainly doesn't seem as...err...unique looking as the sportage. If you're just planning on going out for fun but feel self conscious about wearing the sportage, this might be a good, inexpensive solution.

thanks...just needed to know what styles to look at so I can compare look and $$ .... it's just for fun and learning for both of us, I'm bored with trail and judged obstacle courses are few so I need something else to work on. I really don't want to attract any more attention to myself than needed being our first time showing (my horse will do that herself

Wear what fits your head. Your helmet is fine for schooling shows, I've worn mine in both the schooling and recognized dressage arena at low levels for eventing and schooling hunter/jumper. Do not let anyone tell you you need some expensive "style" of helmet -- the rules only state that it be a dark, conservative colour and generally, ASTM approved.

I have a different version of the Ovation (the extreme I think). I show in it at local hunter/jumper shows and use it for everyday. I like the fact that it comes with washable and replaceable liners/inserts. They are super light weight and very good for showing. If people complain about my plastic helmet, I just ask them why people are spending 500+ on a plastic helmet.

DD showed in her Ovation last weekend. We realized while packing that her head had grown over the winter and her CO no longer fit. So we grabbed her everyday Ovation. It didn't look out of place at all.

OP - I am with you that the Tipp helmets aren't really proper looking for the show ring, either. If you can find something else that fits your head and your wallet, it makes the picture nicer.

Ovation Schooler is about $50 and is extremely popular. I've seen people on here say they bought it for schooling but wound up showing in it instead of a Charles Owen because it's so comfy. They are really light and well-ventilated. Comes in a range of colors, but basic black is PERFECTLY appropriate for what you want to do, OP. You would not look/feel a bit out of place and it's hard to beat the cost!

I have that helmet. Looooove it. I tried all the plastic ones out there and this was the best.

Bought this for schooling and it's great. Especially in the warm weather. I believe it's on sale at Dover right now for $60 so you'll get a great deal. Has a higher end look than a lot of the other schooling helmets.

Wear what fits your head. Your helmet is fine for schooling shows, I've worn mine in both the schooling and recognized dressage arena at low levels for eventing and schooling hunter/jumper. Do not let anyone tell you you need some expensive "style" of helmet -- the rules only state that it be a dark, conservative colour and generally, ASTM approved.

Can you give us a general price range?
I really love the Charles Owen JR8 which is around $140. It is a classy helmet and looks comparable to helmets twice the price. IRH makes a nice velvet helmet that is around $75 and a dark sporty helmet for closer to $50. Although people drop $$$ on helmets it is feasible to find an attractive and comfortable helmet on a budget.

Ovation Schooler is about $50 and is extremely popular. I've seen people on here say they bought it for schooling but wound up showing in it instead of a Charles Owen because it's so comfy. They are really light and well-ventilated. Comes in a range of colors, but basic black is PERFECTLY appropriate for what you want to do, OP. You would not look/feel a bit out of place and it's hard to beat the cost!

that is exactly what I did. I purchased the Ovation schooler for everyday (I get overheated easily) and a GPA Titium Pro for showing. I actually returned the GPA because it never fit quite right, and my CO molded to not fit my head. I was very skeptical about the Ovation schooler because I am a traditionalist, however I LOVE it. I feel safe it, it isn't bad being plastic (GPA speed air, GPA first lady, Tipperary, etc) and it is comfortable. Because of the dial system I get a better fit than other helmets. Would I take it to an "A" show? probably not, but I am a long way from there. My friend used hers at the TB Celebration show and no one looked at her cross-eyed.

This was fun. I kind of wish I needed a new helmet. I saw several others on the Victory Canter website under $200, and some just over. You have lots of choices!

I have an Ovation schooling helmet that is a Tipperary Sportage knockoff, and I love it. It's not something I would wear in the show ring, however. Some of the other Ovation schooling helmets in black look perfectly appropriate, however, especially since some of the high-end plastic helmets have become popular. (I actually think all the ones I posted above are much better-looking than the Speed-Air!) I saw an Ovation at a show recently and thought it looked fine.

I heard a neigh. Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh as that was! My very heart leaped with delight at the sound. --Nathaniel Hawthorne